Best movies like Close-Up
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
This fiction-documentary hybrid uses a sensational real-life event—the arrest of a young man on charges that he fraudulently impersonated the well-known filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf—as the basis for a stunning, multilayered investigation into movies, identity, artistic creation, and existence, in which the real people from the case play themselves.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: Iran
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: avant garde, realistic, clever, semi serious, spiritual, meta, inspirational, sincere, thought provoking, social
Best tv shows and movies like Close-Up (1990):
Similar in 80%
Difret (2014)
Plot Summary:
Three hours outside of Addis Ababa, a bright 14-year-old girl is on her way home from school when men on horses swoop in and kidnap her. The brave Hirut grabs a rifle and tries to escape, but ends up shooting her would-be husband. In her village the practice of abduction into marriage is common and one of Ethiopia’s oldest traditions. Meaza Ashenafi, an empowered and tenacious young lawyer, arrives from the city to represent Hirut and argue that she acted in self defense. Meaza boldly embarks on a collision course between enforcing civil authority and abiding by customary law, risking the ongoing work of her women’s legal aid practice to save Hirut’s life.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, History
Country: Ethiopia, USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, touching, serious, emotional, social, political, cult classic, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 79%
The Cyclist (1989)
Plot Summary:
The wife of Nasim, an Afghan immigrant in Iran, is gravely ill. He needs money to pay for her care, but his day labor digging wells does not pay enough. A friend connects Nasim to a two-bit promoter who sells tickets to watch Nasim ride a bicycle continuously for a week. The promoter brings in sick and aged spectators, haranguing them to find hope in Nasim's strength. Aided by his son, who feeds him as he rides, Nasim grinds out the days and shivering nights. Local officials believe this may be a plot and Nasim may be a spy; they try to sabotage him as do those who bet he won't finish the week. Will desperation alone get Nasim the money? Is any triumph an illusion?.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Iran
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags: islamic, psychological, sincere, serious, emotional, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 81%
Crimson Gold (2003)
Plot Summary:
For Hussein, a pizza delivery driver, the imbalance of the social system is thrown in his face wherever he turns. One day when his friend, Ali, shows him the contents of a lost purse, Hussein discovers a receipt of payment and cannot believe the large sum of money someone spent to purchase an expensive necklace. He knows that his pitiful salary will never be enough to afford such luxury. Hussein receives yet another blow when he and Ali are denied entry to an uptown jewelry store because of their appearance. His job allows him a full view of the contrast between rich and poor. He motorbikes every evening to neighborhoods he will never live in, for a closer look at what goes on behind closed doors. But one night, Hussein tastes the luxurious life, before his deep feelings of humiliation push him over the edge.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Iran
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, realistic, sincere, atmospheric, serious, contemplative, suspense, islamic, psychological, gloomy
Similar in 90%
Goodbye (2011)
Plot Summary:
Without her husband and without her lawyer’s licence, which has been withdrawn, Noora is left pregnant and alone in her apartment. Her attempt to leave Iran turns into a fight with male chauvinism. A personal, nerve-wracking and infuriating film by Rasoulof, who was himself convicted for his films in Iran. Goodbye is a sober, frightening portrait of a society that is stooping under the continual control and threats of its religious regime. Noora, a young, pregnant lawyer in Tehran whose husband has been sent to work in the desert because of his critical journalistic activities, continually faces opposition from the regime and decides to leave the country. That turns out to be very difficult. Because Rasoulof was already banned from making films, Goodbye was shot partly in secret in the winter of 2010/2011. The result is a disquieting film that makes impotence and the desire for freedom painfully tangible in all its simplicity.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 814
Genere: Drama
Country: Iran
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, realistic, thought provoking, contemplative, islamic, bleak, interesting
Similar in 85%
Omar Killed Me (2011)
Plot Summary:
In the summer of 1991 an elderly woman Ghislaine Marchal is found murdered in the basement of her home with the message "Omar M'a Tuer" (Omar has kill me) written beside in her own blood. Despite a lack of forensic or DNA evidence, her Moroccan gardener Omar Raddad is found guilty and sentenced to 18 years in a French prison. Shocked by the case, and convinced of his innocence, journalist Pierre-Emmanuel Vaugrenard moves to Nice to investigate, and uncover the truth.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: France, Morocco
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, touching, emotional, realistic, sincere, serious, gloomy
Similar in 86%
The Chameleon (2010)
Plot Summary:
The amazing true story of Frédéric Bourdin, who after having plundered all the centers for runaway minors and deliquents in Europe, even thought he has come of age, now passes himself off as Nicholas Barclay, a 13-year-old American who had vanished three years ago. To his astonishment, Nicholas's family welcomes him like their son, leaving Interpol and the FBI aghast. It is the beginning of a race against time for the investigators, family and Bourdin. But who is manipulating whom? And who is Frederic Bourdin in reality?.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: Canada, France, USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, serious, realistic, thought provoking, powerful
Similar in 85%
Unbowed (2011)
Plot Summary:
Inspired by the true story of Kim Kyung-ho, a math professor who was arrested for shooting a crossbow at the presiding judge of his appeal against unfair dismissal.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 662
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: rough, thought provoking, serious, realistic, tense, suspenseful, suspense, psychological
Similar in 81%
Through the Olive Trees (1994)
Plot Summary:
The movie focuses on one of the events in Zendegi Edame Darad (1992), and explores the relationship between the movie director, and the actors. The local actors play a couple who got married right after the earthquake. In reality, the actor is trying to persuade the actress that they should get married.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Drama
Country: Iran, France
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: contemplative, social, avant garde, art house, independent film, islamic, psychological, mind bending, touching, serious
Similar in 77%
The Circle (2000)
Plot Summary:
Various women struggle to function in the oppressively sexist society of contemporary Iran.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama
Country: Iran, Italy, Switzerland
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: bleak, disturbing, harsh, atmospheric, sincere, contemplative, thought provoking, spiritual, avant garde, art house
Similar in 87%
Ten (2002)
Plot Summary:
A visual social examination in the form of ten conversations between a driving woman and her various pick-ups and hitchhikers.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Drama
Country: Iran, France, USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: talky, melancholic, light, intense, sincere, thought provoking, touching, realistic, art house, contemplative
Similar in 75%
The Wind Will Carry Us (1999)
Plot Summary:
Irreverent city engineer Behzad comes to a rural village in Iran to keep vigil for a dying relative. In the meanwhile the film follows his efforts to fit in with the local community and how he changes his own attitudes as a result.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Drama
Country: Iran, France
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: philosophical, melancholic, thought provoking, touching, serious, contemplative, art house, cerebral, compassionate, slow cinema
Similar in 76%
Crime of the Century (1996)
Plot Summary:
In 1932, the nation was shocked when the 14-month-old son of Charles Lindberg was kidnapped, held for ransom, and murdered. Two years later, Bruno Richard Hauptmann was arrested, convicted, and executed. This film dramatizes the investigation against Hauptmann, the trial, and the execution, painting a picture of a corrupt police force under pressure to finger a killer framing an innocent man by manufacturing evidence, paying-off and blackmailing witnesses, and covering up exculpatory evidence.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 888
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic
Similar in 77%
Jump! (2007)
Plot Summary:
JUMP is a psychological drama revealing for the first time the extraordinary circumstances behind the unjust murder trial of the young Jew, Philippe Halsman, who would later become the most sought after celebrity portrait photographer of his generation.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 648
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: Austria
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: serious, disturbing, contemplative, thought provoking, bleak, realistic, political
Similar in 90%
A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story (1989)
Plot Summary:
Tracy Thurman was married to a man who abused her. But he continues to harass her after she gets a restraining order, and the police do little to help. When he brutally beats her and slashes her throat in front of police, she sues the city and the police department for failing to protect her.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: non fiction, sincere, rough, thought provoking, serious, realistic, disturbing
Similar in 78%
Heavens Fall (2006)
Plot Summary:
Successful New York attorney Sam Leibowitz travels to the South in 1933 to defend nine young black men accused of raping two women on an Alabama freight train.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: serious, sincere, disturbing, independent film, uplifting, emotional, realistic
Similar in 87%
12 Angry Men (1997)
Plot Summary:
During the trial of a man accused of his father's murder, a lone juror takes a stand against the guilty verdict handed down by the others as a result of their preconceptions and prejudices. The film is adapted by Reginald Rose from his own 1957 film version (directed by Sidney Lumet) and from the Westinghouse One television production that predated it. George C. Scott won a Golden Globe for his supporting role; righteous juror Jack Lemmon was denied such an honor for Best Actor, but recipient Ving Rhames (for Don King) dedicated his award to Lemmon.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: psychological, atmospheric, captivating, clever, talky, tense, inspirational, retro, philosophical, cerebral
Similar in 85%
No One Killed Jessica (2011)
Plot Summary:
A reporter teams up with the sister of a murdered model in order to bring her case justice.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 136 min
Plot tags: realistic, captivating, suspenseful, serious, psychological thriller, motivational, entertaining, dark, suspense thriller, social message
Similar in 90%
Marie (1985)
Plot Summary:
A single mother takes a job with the government where she is confronted with corruption.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: political, independent film, sincere, thought provoking, serious, realistic, talky, eighties
Similar in 85%
Trial by Fire (2018)
Plot Summary:
The tragic and controversial story of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed in Texas for killing his three children after scientific evidence and expert testimony that bolstered his claims of innocence were suppressed.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 127 min
Plot tags: depressing, emotional, realistic, thought provoking, disturbing, factual, compassionate, dark
Similar in 86%
The Wronged Man (2010)
Plot Summary:
Janet Gregory, a single mother with a haunting past, is a paralegal struggling to overcome doubts about Calvin Willis, an African-American husband and father wrongfully accused of raping a neighborhood girl. Eventually convinced of his innocence, Janet takes Calvin's pro bono case and wages a dramatic and stormy 22-year battle with the justice system that ultimately redeems an unjustly accused man and cements a life-long friendship.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: emotional, serious, captivating, realistic, sincere, rough, bleak, disturbing
Similar in 76%
Taste of Cherry (1997)
Plot Summary:
A middle-aged Tehranian man, Mr. Badii is intent on killing himself and seeks someone to bury him after his demise. Driving around the city, the seemingly well-to-do Badii meets with numerous people, including a Muslim student, asking them to take on the job, but initially he has little luck. Eventually, Badii finds a man who is up for the task because he needs the money, but his new associate soon tries to talk him out of committing suicide.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 35000
Genere: Drama
Country: Iran, France
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: art house, contemplative, road movie, independent film, philosophical, spiritual, existential, slow cinema, psychological, sincere
Similar in 77%
...and justice for all. (1979)
Plot Summary:
An ethical Baltimore defense lawyer disgusted with rampant legal corruption is asked to defend a judge he despises in a rape trial. But if he doesn't do it, the judge will have him disbarred.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: suspense, realistic, disturbing, clever, offbeat, humorous, witty, cynical, captivating, inspirational
Similar in 84%
Sacco & Vanzetti (1971)
Plot Summary:
The story of two anarchists who were charged and unfairly tried for murder when it was really for their political convictions.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags: political, historical drama, rough, bleak, serious, captivating, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing, contemplative
Similar in 90%
Find Me Guilty (2006)
Plot Summary:
Based on the true story of Jack DiNorscio, a mobster who defended himself in court for what would be the longest mafia trial in U.S. history.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 36000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags: tense, suspense, stylized, captivating, realistic, witty, semi serious, inspirational, social, novela
Similar in 77%
Conviction (2010)
Plot Summary:
When Betty Anne Waters' older brother Kenny is arrested for murder and sentenced to life in 1983, Betty Anne, a Massachusetts wife and mother of two, dedicates her life to overturning the murder conviction. Convinced that her brother is innocent, Betty Anne puts herself through high school, college and, finally, law school in an 18 year quest to free Kenny. With the help of best friend Abra Rice, Betty Anne pores through suspicious evidence mounted by small town cop Nancy Taylor, meticulously retracing the steps that led to Kenny's arrest. Belief in her brother - and her quest for the truth - pushes Betty Anne and her team to uncover the facts and utilize DNA evidence with the hope of exonerating Kenny.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 46000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: Switzerland, UK, USA
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, emotional, inspirational, sad, thought provoking, disturbing, intense, motivational, entertaining
Similar in 79%
Guilty (2011)
Plot Summary:
Investigates the corrupt judicial system under which Alain Mar'caux and his wife Edith were arrested on accusations of pedophilia horrific acts they never committed- and the years he spent fighting to get out of prison, clear his name and keep his family.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: France, Belgium
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, disturbing, touching, sincere, serious, realistic, factual, social, bleak, gloomy
Similar in 87%
Who Is Clark Rockefeller? (2010)
Plot Summary:
Called "the longest running con in FBI history," Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, the man that people knew as "Clark Rockefeller" had brilliantly impersonated numerous people, ranging from a talk show host to a Pentagon Advisor before ultimately claiming to be an heir to the famous Rockefeller family. Confident from the success of his prior scams, Clark quickly became well known and highly respected among Boston's elite and used his purported high society status to charm his way into the life of Sandra Boss, a millionaire with a Harvard MBA and a partner at the prestigious management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 932
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, captivating, suspenseful, inspirational
Similar in 90%
Where is the Friend's Home? (1987)
Plot Summary:
An 8 year old boy must return his friend's notebook he took by mistake, lest his friend be punished by expulsion from school.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: Iran
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: social, art house, inspirational, road movie, thought provoking, independent film, islamic, touching, feel good, serious
Similar in 81%
Act of Vengeance (1986)
Plot Summary:
In 1969, an administrator runs against the corrupt president of the United Coal Miners Union, and becomes the target of a murder plot.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 797
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: sincere, rough, thought provoking, bleak, serious, captivating, realistic, disturbing, contemplative
Similar in 89%
In the Name of the Father (1993)
Plot Summary:
A small time thief from Belfast, Gerry Conlon, is falsely implicated in the IRA bombing of a pub that kills several people while he is in London. He and his four friends are coerced by British police into confessing their guilt. Gerry's father and other relatives in London are also implicated in the crime. He spends fifteen years in prison with his father trying to prove his innocence.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 184000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: Ireland, UK
Duration: 133 min
Plot tags: political, sentimental, inspirational, touching, dramatic, factual, sincere, thought provoking, emotional, realistic